Column-mill.



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COLUMN MILL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1916- ]Patentfl 1M0. 11, L917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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IOLUMN MILL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. 1916.

Patented Dev. 11, 1917.

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$1 $4 awe/whoa S. CLINE.

COLUMN MILL.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 15. ms.

Patented Dec. 11, 19171.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- SANFORD CLINE, OF HENRY, NORTH CAROLINA.

COLUMN-MILL.

atisse.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SANFORD CLINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Henry, in the county of Catawba and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Column-Mills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wood turning machines and more particularly to a mill for cutting and planing logs of rough tiniber and producing a finished column or article.

Objects of my invention" are to provide an improved mill in which a rough unhevvn log in the condition in which it is felled is adapted to be turned out as a complete and finished column having smooth and finished surfaces; to provide a device in which the bark. knots and other uneven or rough portions of the log are removed and the surfaces cut to a smooth and finished surface at a single operation, and this operation is accomplished in a short period of time and requires the attention of but one attendant or operator. so that the finished columns may be produced at a minimum cost. My improved mill may be used to produce a column which may be tapered to any desired extent, and it is adapted to receive a log of practically any size and trim the same down to a column of any diameter.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved cutter and laner hav ing means for removing the bar t, knots, or the like. and also having means for planing the surfaces upon which it operates so that a rough unbarkcd log may be reduced to a finished column having a smooth and polished surface. My improved cutter is capable of operating at a relatively high rate of speed and at the same time does its work properly and neatly, so that a finished article may be turned out in a minimum space of time.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals represent like parts in the several views,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my entire device showing a log in position thereon.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved device, a portion of the cutter frame being broken away for purposes of clcarness.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3. Fig. 1.

Fig. -l is a sectional view taken on line t-t. Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pat gnt gd D m 111 11917 Application filed April 15,1916.

Serial No. 91,332.

be of any suitable construction, and transversely of which is mounted a cutter shaft; 11 having fixedly mounted on one end there of my improved cutter 12 hereinafter described more in detail. A main frame 13 mounted upon uprights 14, of any suitable height has along its longitudinal side-sills, beams or strips 15 which constitute a trackway on which the carriage carrying the work to be operated upon is adapted to reciprocat-e.

The carriage 16 on which the work to be operated upon is mounted. I have illus trated as comprising a horizontal table or frame having side sills l7 and end or trans- 'verse sills 18, the table or frame being mounted on suitable car wheels 19 engaging upon or guided by the trackway 15. The end sills, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, are mounted upon and extend across the top of the side sills, and are provided with oppositely extendine tongues or ribs 20. 21 designates a head -block or beam which extends longitudinally of the carriage 16 and preferably protrudes beyond either end of the same as shown. The underside or surface of the head-block has brackets 22 provided with offset ends to form grooves 23 which receive the tongues 20 of the end sills of the carriage, so that a tongue and groove arrangement is provided whereby the headblock may be guided transversely of the carriage, but, the tongues fit loosely within the brackets, so that. the block may be moved into a position at an angle to the longitudinal center line of the carriage when it is desired to taper the column. The head-block or beam carries at one of its ends. an upright or standard Q-l having a work center, herein shown as comprising a screw 25 suitably pointed at one end and adapted to be rotated in a screw-threaded opening in the upper end of the standard 24 by means of a handle 26, it being understood that when the screw is rotated, the same is advanced forward or withdrawn from the log, thus permitting the same to be inserted in place or removed from its position upon the head block. At the opposite end of the head block is a pair of standards 27 spaced slightly apart and having hearings in their upper ends which rotatably receive the stem or spindle of a centering device 28, the latter having teeth or prongs 29 adapted to engage in the end of the log being operated upon, it being obvious that upon rotation of the centering device, the log will rotate therewith. Between the standards 27 and upon the spindle of the centering device 28 is a worm gear 30 meshing with the worm 31 mounted upon a spindle 32 which extends transversely of the head-block or beam the same being rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 33. One end of the spindle 32 projectsbeyond the side of the head-block and carries a drum or pulley 3% about which passes a cable for turning the log to be cut, a handle 35 being provided for manually turning the log when the means for automatically turning the same is not required.

'Moimted upon the carriage 16 along the side of the head-block or beam 21 and extending parallel thereto is a guide-beam 3t pivoted adjacent one end as at 37 to the end sill of the carriage, so that the body portion of the guide beam may be swung laterally. The guide beam is mounted on or secured to the carriage by means of a tongue and groove connection similar to the tongue and groove arrangement between the headblock and the carriage. The guide beam 36 is connected to the head-block by means of a web comprising a pair of toggles 38, the opposite ends of the arms of which are connected to the head-block and guide-beam as at 39 and 40. respectivelyf A link or connecting bar *1 is connected at its opposite ends to the pin or pivot which secures the inner ends of the arms of the toggles together. By this arrangement, the guide beam and the head-block are always in parallelism with each other irrespective of the position of such members relative to the carriage. and thus when the guide-beam is swung about its pivotal point, the head-block is moved at an angle to the longitudinal center of the carriage, while, at the same time, the headblock may be moved bodily away from the guide-beam and yet retain its parallel position relative thereto.

For moving the headblock laterally upon the carriage so that the log 0pc 'ated upon may be advanced toward or withdrawn from the cutter, I provide a segmental plate 42 secured as shown to the side sill of the earriage, and pivoted to the lower end of the se mental plate is a lever 43 having a suitable dog it operated by means of a handle or finger-engaging lever 45, the dog being adapted to engage in suitable notches 46 for adjusting the head-block upon the carriage, suitable indicia being provided adjacent said notches. The head-block is connected to the lever 43 by means of a link LT, so that when the handle or lever 43 is swung about its pivotal point, the head-block is moved to or from the cutter depending on the size of the log desired to be cut, the tongue and groove arrangement 20 and .33 being such as to permit this relative movement.

Mounted also upon the side of the carriage and preferably adjacent the first segmental plate is a second segmental plate 4-2 having associated therewith members 43, H- 45 and d6 which correspond to like members of the mechanism just described. The lever 43 is connected by means of a link 48 to the guide-beam 36 so that upon movement of the lever 43, the guide-beam is turned about its pivotal point 37 and due to the web arrangement between the guide-beam and the head-block, the latter is moved so that the log operated upon may be turned into a tapered column, and as the tongues or ribs 20 fit loosely within the grooves of the brackets 22, such movement is allowed for.

The means for driving the various mechanisms heretofore described may be of any desired form or construction, but preferably the rotation of the cutter, the reciprocating movement of the carriage which carries the work operated upon past the cutter, and the means for rotating the log operated upon, are eti'ected from a single driven shaft which, in the present instance. comprises the cutter shaft 11. The cutter shaft has on its end opposite the cutter a fixed drive pulley 49 and a loose pulley 50 on the latter of which the belt which passes over a suitable motor (not shown) is adapted to be thrown when my improved mill is to be thrown out of operation. Mounted substantially below the cutter-shaft l1 and extending beneath the main or supporting frame 13 is a shaft. 51 having on its outer end the pulley be about which passes a belt 53, the latter being driven by a small pulley t llmounted upon the cutter arbor or shaft 11. The belt 53 is provided with a tightenin pulley SO mounted on a swinging arm 81 and having a pawl and ratchet as shown. Upon the opposite end of the shaft 51 is a grooved pulley 55, shown in dotted lines in Fig. l. which receives thereabout an endless rope cable 56. The cable 56 passes from the grooved pulley to an idle pulley 3T placed adjacent thereto, thence about the guide pulley mounted in bearings on one end of the main frame 13 to and beneath an idle pulley .39 and over the drum or grooved pulley 3-1:

mounted upon the spindle 32, and-thence beneath a guide pulley (50, about a second guide-pulley (31 back to the grooved pulley 55. When the shaft 51 is rotated, the endless cable is moved, and through the drum 34 and the worm and gear mechanism and 31 the log is rotated. When it is desired to rotate the cutter-head without revolving or moving the log operated upon the tightening pulley 80 is withdrawn from the belt For the purpose of reciprocating the carriage so that the work or log operated upon may move longitudinally across the face of the cuter-head, I provide a shaft 62, Fig. 9 upon which is fixedly mounted apair of belt pulleys 63, a loose or free pulley 64 adjacent each of the fixed pulleys and a grooved drum 65. One of the pulleys 63 is connected to a shaft82 by means of a belt 66 and the other fixed pulley 63 receives a cross-belt 67 by means of which the pulley is driven through the rotation of the shaft 82, it being understood that any suitable belt-changing mechanism 68 for throwing the belts on and off of the fixed pulley may be utilized to reverse the direction of travel I of the carriage. The shaft 82 is driven from the shaft 11 by means of a belt 83 which may be provided with a belt-tightening device similar to that designated by the numeral 80. A cable 69 passes about the drum 65 and stationary pulleys 70 positioned at opposite ends of the main supporting frame and is connected at its opposite ends to the reciprocating carriage as shown.

In Letters Patent No. 864,612, granted to me August 27, 1907, I have shown and described an improved cutter-head having suitable cutter-blades and cutting edges, the working face of the cutter-head being beveled outwardly, and while I have found the cutter-head described in this application to be admirably adapted for the purposes therein set forth, I have made certain improvements thereover which adapts the cutter-head for use in my improved column mill. The cutter-head comprises a disklike plate 71 having the working face thereof raised slightly at the hub or central portion, that is, the working face of the cutter-head is beveled toward its periph cry as at 85, and the cutting face is, furthermore, off-set adjacent its marginal edge as designated by 72 thereby providing an annular face 86. Cutting knives 73 are located in slots 74 in the face 86 and preferably extend radially from the center of the cutter-head, and these finishing knives, which consist of relatively thin plates having one edge beveled to provide a cutting edge, are retained in place in the slot by means of a chip breaker 75 and set-screws 76, the latter extending through screwthreaded openings in the body portion of the cutter as shown in Fig. 6. By this arrangement, the cutting knives may be easily adjusted and renewed, it being evident that to adjust the knives, it is merely necessary to turn the set-screws to relieve pressure against the chip-breaker, and preferably, the knives are so set that their cutting edges protrude but a slight distance beyond the face of the cutter-head. I have found that when a very smooth finish is desired, the cutting edge of the knife should extend but a hairs breadth beyond the chip-breaker, although, of course, when work of the highest quality is not demanded, it is not necessary to set the knife with such accuracy. By the use of my improved arrangement, I have found that a log of any kind of stock may be planed crossgrain or slash-grain. It will further be noted that the knives are set at an angle to the plane of rotation of the cutter-head. In the present instance, I have shown four finishing knives, but, of course, it is evident that the number of knives may be varied. The knives are provided with dust throats 7 7 which accommodate shavings or cuttings and allow the same to be discharged from the cutter-head without interfering with the work.

For the purpose of removing the bark, knots and other protuberances from the log,

and to get the log in condition for the cutting knives ust described to work thereon, I

provide a number of teeth disposed in the annular face 86, and these teeth are arranged in a peculiar manner. Spaced equidistant apart and located angularly relative to the knives are pairs of teeth, and each pair of teeth consists in an inner tooth 78 and an outer tooth 79. The cutting points of the teeth extend beond the face 86 of the cutter-l1ead or plate 7 1, and are inclined therethrough in the di rection in which the cutter head is adapted to rotate as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The inner tooth 78 as shown in Figs. 6 and 10 is adapted to be so adjusted that its cutting point'is about on a straight line with the face 85 of the cutter-head. The outer teeth 79 are adapted to be so adjusted that their cutting points are in alinemcnt with the beveled face 85 and teeth 78, that is to say, they do not extend from the annular face 86 of the cutter-head as far as do the inner llllti 86 to such an extent that the cutting points of the teeth 78, 79 and 88 are in alincinent. The points of the single teeth 88 are at such radial distance from the center of rotation quickly and neatly removed.

course, understood that the number of teeth one plane and the beveled edges of the single teeth arranged in a plane at right angles thereto, and by this arrangement, I have found that the uneven portions or irregularities on the surface of the work are It is, of

may vary depending upon the stock operated upon and the quality of work which it is desired to turn out. The teeth are held in place in the cutter-head by means of setscrews 90.

The cutting points of the teeth extend beyond the face of the cutter-head or plate 71 and are inclined therethrough in the direction in which the cutter-head is adapted to rotate, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The teeth preferably comprise pieces of rod of circular cross-section, the ends of the rods being sharpened or beveled to a point in the manner disclosed. In the present embodiment of my invention, I have disclosed some of the teeth assembled in pairs, the pairs being spaced equal angular distances from each other. Located midway between the pairs of teeth are single teeth, and the points of the single teeth are at such radial distance from the center of rotation of the cutterhead that they operate on the work operated upon at a point between the lines on which the points of the teeth in pairs operate. It will be noted that the teeth which are arranged in pairs have their beveled edges arranged in one plane, and the beveled edges of the single teeth are arranged in a plane at right angles thereto, and by this arrangement I have found that the uneven portions or'irregula rities on the surface of the work are quickly and neatly removed. The knives and teeth are provided with dust throats 78 to accommodate shavings or cuttings and allow the same to be discharged from the cutterhead without interfering with the work. The teeth 7 9 and 88 are held in place byscrews 90.

The operation of my device will be readily understood from the foregoing description, it being understood that when the large drive pulley 49 is driven from any suitable source, the cutter-head is rotated, and by means of the cables 66 and 56, the carriage which carries the log operated upon is moved longitudinally, so that the log is moved across the face of the cutter and, at the same time, the log is continuously rotated. The log may be advanced toward or withdrawn from the cutter to produce any desired size of column by the lever mechanism described, and a tapered column may be obtained by swinging the guide-beam 36 at an angle relative to the longitudinal center of the carriage. The teeth of the cutter are, so arranged as to remove bark. knots and other protuberances or irregularities on the surface of the log, so that the same is placed in condition for the finishing knives to operate thereon. The finishing knives dress up the surface so that a. smooth and finished article is produced. \Vhen it is desired to rotate the cutter head without rotating or moving the log longitudinally, the tightening pulley 80 is witlu'lrawn from the belt 53.

It will be seen that by my mechanism a rough unhewn log in the condition in which it is felled may be dressed and finished up into a smooth round column, and the column may be of any suitable taper. If desired my ii'nproved column mill may be utilized to produce an octagon or other polygonal column, and this may be done by removing the rope cable 56 which rotates the log when producing a round column so that. the log is not rotated while the cutter is operating thereon. The carriage is moved longitudinally and the cutter operates on one portion of the surface of the log producing a straight fiat side. The handle 35 is then partially rotated to partially rotate the log through the worm gear mechanism, and then the carriage is again moved so that another straight smooth side is produced upon the log. and this operation is continued until the column is finished.

It is, of course, obvious that my invention is susceptible of various modifications and mechanical changes which would be within the spirit of the invention without departing from the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. In a column mill, a carriage, a headblock upon the carriage rotatably supporting the log to be operated upon. a guidebeam upon the carriage. the head block being movable bodily laterally toward and from the guide beam though always maintained parallel to said guide beam, in parallelism with said head-block for guiding the movements of said head block, means for maintaining the l1ead-block and guide beam in parallelism with each other, means for swinging the guide beam about a pivot to move said head-block and log at an angle to the direction of travel of the carriage to produce a tapered column, and means for moving said carriage.

2. In a column mill, a carriage. a headblock on the carriage rotatably supporting a log to be operated upon, means for rotating the log, means for moving the carriage longitudmally, a cutter-head across the face of which the log is adapted to be moved longitudinally, a guide beam upon said carriage connected to the head block and for guiding the movements of said head block and a web comprising toggle mechanism for retaining said head-block and guide beam in parallelism with each other, the head block being movable bodily laterally toward and from the guide beam.

3. In a column mill, a carriage, a headblock upon the carriage rotatably supporting the log to be operated upon, a tongue and groove arrangement between the carriage and head-block permitting movement of the latter upon the carriage, a guide-beam pivotally connected to the carriage for guiding the movements of the head block, said head block being movable bodily laterally toward and from the guide beam, a web comprising a pair of toggles the outer ends of the arms of which are connected to the head-block and guide beam respectively for retaining said head-block and guide-beam in parallelism with each other, means for moving said head-block independently of the action'of said guide beam, and means for swinging said guide-beam about a pivotto move said head-block therewith.

4. In a column mill a carriage, means on the carriage for rotatably supporting a log, means for rotating the log, means for moving the carriage and log longitudinally, a guide beam connected to said means for rotatably supporting the log for guiding the same, said last mentioned means being movable bodily laterally toward and from the guide beam though always maintained parallel to said guide beam, a cutter-head across the face of which said log is adapted to move, and a common shaft for rotating the cutter-head and log and moving the carriage.

5. In a column mill a carriage, means on the carriage for rotatably supporting a log, means for rotating the log, means for moving the carriage and log longitudinally, a guide beam, toggles connecting said guide beam to the means for rotatably supporting the log, and a cutter-head across the face of which the log is adapted to be moved.

6. In a column mill a carriage, means on the carriage for rotatably supporting a log, means for rotating the log, means for moving the carriage and log longitudinally, a guide beam, toggles connecting said guide beam to the means for rotatably supporting the log, a pivoted hand lever, a link connecting said pivoted hand lever to the guide beam, and a cutter-head across the face of which said log is adapted to move.

7. In a column mill, a carriage, means on the carriage for rotatably supporting a log,

means for rotating the log, means for moving the carriage and log longitudinally, a guide beam, toggles connecting said guide beam to the means for rotatably supporting the log, a pivoted hand lever, means for holding said hand lever in an desired fixed position, a link connecting sai pivoted hand lever to the guide beam, and a cutter head across the face of which said log is adapted to move.

8. In a column mill, a carriage, means on the carriage for rotatably supporting a log, a pivoted hand lever, means for holdin said hand lever in any desired fixed position, a link connecting the hand lever directly to the means for rotatably supporting the log, means for rotating the log, means for moving the carriage and log longitudinally, a guide beam, toggles connecting said guide beam to the means for rotatably supporting the log, a second pivoted hand lever, means for holding said hand lever in any desired fixed position, a link connecting said pivoted hand lever to the guide beam, and a cutterhead across the face of which said log is adapted to move.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SANFORD CLINE.

Witnesses:

DONALD T. APPLEGATE, J. U. RHODES. 

